MORE than £100,000 will be pumped into providing new CCTV cameras for Oxford City Centre.

Oxford City Council plans to spend £125,000 on cameras to reduce crime and the fear of crime.

But the Green party has slammed the proposals, saying what is really needed is more bobbies on the beat.

Cllr Mike Woodin said: "There has been a fall in crime of 23 per cent, according to Thames Valley Police. This may be due to the extra numbers of police on the streets."

He said more police out on Friday and Saturday nights had led to a reduction in crime. "This is clearly the way forward."

And Cllr Xanthe Bevis said putting cameras in the city centre would just push crime elsewhere.

But Labour Cllr Bill Buckingham was outraged. "I don't understand why you don't want to protect people in the city centre," he said.

Labour Cllr Bob Hoyle said, after the meeting: "The Labour group is persuaded by research that CCTV is effective and that it makes people feel better."

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